• PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.

First Post, Second Batch, a Handful of Questions

Toggle sidebar
Barrel Char Wood Products
Dadux

Dadux

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 5, 2016
725
3
18
Spain, Europe
First of all, i wanted to say hello to the community.
I have read most of what i know here but im about to do my second batch and i still have some doubts, so i will share them with you and see if you can help me out.
I live in Europe, so my measuerments are in kilos and liters
So, i wanted to do a 5L batch (thats around 1,3 gallons, pretty small, i know). Last time i did i used around 1,5kg (3 pounds) of honey for it and it resulted in a dry mead but it didnt seem to have that much alcohol (i didnt measue it but i plan on doing it this time, because now i got the necessary tools). In the end i backsweetened it and ended pretty decent for my first time. I wonder if there is a reason why mead will not have much alcohol but no vinegar taste either

This time I dont have yeast nutrient, which brings me to my second question/doubt.
I intend on adding raisins, but i dont understand why some people just do mead without adding any extra nutrient or energizer. Also, i am not sure if i should add any other fruit or thing to it. If i add raisins or other fruit i know they cant have pesticides or potassium sorbate, so should i boil them first? freeze them? wash them?

Also had some doubts about other things: mead probably gets a different flavour if you add the fruits like raisins in the first fermentation than in the second, right?
If so, what is good to add to the second fermentation? And should i keep the raisins of the first fermentation in the second? last thing, i was thinking on adding cinnamon to the second fermentation. has anyone tried? is ti good? should i have something in account if i do it?

Im sorry if i bothered anyone with so many questions, and any help you can give me, I appreciate.
Thank you
 
S

Squatchy

Lifetime GotMead Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Nov 3, 2014
5,542
261
83
Denver
Alcohol ABV% and vinegar taste are not connected. Meaning you can make 20% ABV and still not have a vinegar presence. That's something entirely different.

Raisins could be a slight addition for nutrients but not really much to count on unless you are looking for a strong raisin profile in the finished profile. You would have to add a ton of raisins to get what your looking for nutrient wise and then it still wouldn't be a well rounded meal.
They will how ever add a rounder mouthfeel if that's what you are looking for. If you do want to use them, crush them slightly or cut them in half. That way the yeast can get inside to eat.

I don't know why a person wouldn't want to take the advantages feeding your mead gives to you. I guess if wanted something that takes for ever to taste good then why not. If you want a nice clean ferment without fussels/faults that most likely won't stall I would highly suggest a feeding regime.

Cinnamon is very common as an adjunct.

Sweet, or dry, happens by either all the honey gets eaten, or, some of it gets left behind. You could make a gallon that is 5% ABV or 20%. It just depends on what yeast you pick, how much fermentable sugars and lastly how well you manage your fermentation.
 
Dadux

Dadux

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 5, 2016
725
3
18
Spain, Europe
Hi Squatchy, thanks for that quick reply.
you are right about the ABV, but what i ment is that, if you do it wrongly, alcohol can be turned to vinegar by bacteria, and that way you will have a low percentage of alcohol, sorry if i phrased it the wrong way.

My biggest concern is about the nutrients. I dont really have easy access to them, so thats why i thought adding the raisins or other fruits as complement would help the yeast to grow.
I guess if its not enough i will have to buy them online. the first time i bought an starter pack that had nutrients but now i dont have more, so my first thought was to replace them with natural stuff.
Anyway, guess i can't do it that way, but thanks for all your advice.
 
Stasis

Stasis

Honey Master
Registered Member
Jan 10, 2014
1,123
13
38
Malta
If a mead or wine starts turning into vinegar your least worry is the decrease in alcohol since this taste can ruin your batch. Like many other wine faults, just use good sanitary practices and you should have no need to worry about it.
There are ways to make meads without using nutrients such as Joe ancient orang mead (JAOM). This popular recipe is especially popular with newer mead makers but many more seasoned veterans return to this simple yet effective recipe. It could be found as a sticky thread in the general recipe section. It also uses cinnamon, so there is another question answered.
For other recipes you will usually need to buy nutrients. Not any generic nutrient either since most of those contain mainly DAP only.. I was about to go into a load of details of what you will need, why you need them and where to buy them but that could be a bit overwhelming... instead I will suggest reading the newbee guide here http://www.gotmead.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1299&d=1395107076
 
Dadux

Dadux

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 5, 2016
725
3
18
Spain, Europe
Yeah first thing i did on the site was reading the newbee guide hehe
Well it looks like i can still learn a lot, that Loveofrose thread was VERY interesting.
I will get nutrients anyway as i am not sure about mead with a lot of fruit but im definitely gonna try it.
THanks a lot guys
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns

Top Bottom